sailboat with christmas lights

7 Winning Tips on Decorating Your Boat for the Lighted Boat Parade

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Last Updated on November 30, 2023 by Boatsetter Team

Shine your way into the hearts and minds of the crowd—and judges—with our advice.

With the holidays fast approaching, all sorts of festive celebrations are in the planning stages, including lighted boat parades. If you’ve ever watched one of these, you know just how much fun they are. Dozens of decorated-to-the-hilt vessels, from small runabouts to large motor yachts and sailing yachts , try to outdo each other.  

For those of you who’ve never participated in one but want to get in on the action this year, you’re in for a treat. Decorating your boat for a lighted boat parade adds the “wow” factor to an already-fantastic experience. These tips will get you off on the right foot (or should we say lightbulb?)

• Follow a theme 
• Light it up, up, up 
• Include motion 
• Make some music 
• Consider your power source 
• Get in costume!
• Operate at safe speed 

Book a boat & enter your local boat parade— ‘Tis the season!  

1. Follow a theme

The good news here is, some parade organizers set a theme for the participants, so that makes it pretty easy. If you’re free to choose, what suits your personality? Are you a jolly elf, for instance, or more like a grinch? 

For the wordsmiths among you who consider yourselves pun kings and queens, you could be “in snow business” or “all the jingle ladies.” Another idea: wear matching ugly Christmas sweaters that adhere to the theme. Whatever your choice, make sure the overall holiday décor of your boat conveys it. Let your imagination run wild! 

2. Light it up, up, up 

When decorating your boat for a lighted boat parade, there’s no such thing as too many strands. Seriously. Some boats have pretty much every square inch of hull and superstructure covered. Run the lights up your mast, wrap them around your handrails, outline your outriggers, and rim the perimeter of your boat, too. Zipper ties are invaluable in holding everything securely in place. 

Both sides of your boat should match as well. Whatever you do, just make sure you don’t impede your vision from the helm . Furthermore, test everything at night well before the parade, so that you know the lighting design is bright enough for onlookers to see from shore. This could be a few hundred feet away. Testing also lets you identify any bare spots.  

3. Include motion

Some of the most creative lighted boat parade participants incorporate animated figures. Good examples are the inflatable lawn displays you can buy at the big-box stores. Additionally, you can find animated multi-piece lighted displays. 

The possibilities range from a colorful Santa train to a snowman juggling presents and to leaping reindeer. Again, just like with the lighted strands, ensure you have clear sightlines from the helm. 

READ MORE: Top 5 United States Holiday Boat Parades

4. Make some music

It wouldn’t be a lighted boat parade without some appropriately festive music. Even better: Select music that emphasizes your theme. No need to go buy expensive stereo equipment if your boat isn’t outfitted with an on- deck sound system. A good ol’ portable stereo or Bluetooth speakers linked to your mobile phone can do the trick.

5. Consider your power source

Firstly, use LEDs to minimize the necessary current draw. Secondly, never overload your boat’s circuits, so be mindful of how many strands you connect together and plug into one particular place. If you need supplemental power, never, ever use a portable generator. You risk carbon monoxide poisoning, and burns or a fire if the unit accidentally tips over, especially if a wake hits your boat. 

Instead, use an inverter running off your boat’s battery if you’re using AC-powered lights. If your boat already has a permanent generator, you can tap into it. Breakers or ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) are good for preventing more current flowing along power cords from exceeding safe levels. 

6. Get in costume!

Decorating your boat for a lighted boat parade involves decorating yourselves as well! The above-mentioned ugly Christmas sweaters idea works here, as do Santa and the elves, Frosty the Snowman and family… you name it. Plus, props are always a good idea.

7. Operate at a safe speed

Low or no wake is key. Considering your boat, and everyone else’s, is likely carrying extra weight from the festive displays, stability isn’t the same as it is normally. Moreover, the deck needs to be clear and clean for your family or friends to handle dock lines when leaving and returning to your slip. What to read next: 6 Best Holiday Destinations in the US

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A journalist with more than 30 years’ experience, Diane M. Byrne is the owner of MegayachtNews.com, a daily website educating American superyacht owners, buyers, and their circles of influence about the leading builders, designers, cruising destinations, and more. She founded the website in 2007 as the first, and still the only, American-focused online media outlet exclusively covering this market. It features all-original content, for real stories of real interest.

Diane is additionally one of the most-sought-after journalists for expert editorial coverage and commentary about not only superyachts, but also general boating and yachting. Her byline appears in Boatsetter.com, DiscoverBoating.com, and the magazines Luxury Guide, Ocean, Yachting, and Yachts International.

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Designing a Holiday Lights Display for Your Boat

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Planning on winning the "most baubled boat" prize this holiday season? Here's how to go about it safely.

Photo: John Horm

Look at your boat and build on its strengths," says Pete Chambliss, Chief Elf (yes, really) of the Eastport Yacht Club Lights Parade in Annapolis, Maryland. While displays can be as simple as a strand of lights run along the toe rails, or as elaborate as Santa and the Abominable Snowman cage fighting on the bow while the elves look on, each one starts with a design. A powerboat is longer than it is tall, so it supports horizontal designs well. A sailboat works better with designs with some height.

Decide how you want onlookers to view the display. Inflatables on the foredeck can be viewed equally well from all sides of the boat, while words written in lights may be seen best from the port or starboard side. Now is the time to figure out what decorations to use, how to power them, and how to attach them securely to the boat. Outdoor-rated LED lights approved by Underwriters Laboratory (UL) last a long time, use little energy, and produce less heat, avoiding fire hazards. Many yard decorations can do double duty on a boat, too, because their size makes them easy to see and they're already graded for outdoor use.

Keeping Santa Safe When Powering Up

Adding extra lights to a boat increases the risk of fire and electrical shock, so deciding how to power the display has important safety implications. Before hanging them on the boat, check the lights for frayed wires and loose bulb-base connections. Wrap plug connections tightly between strands with high-quality electrical tape, and don't overload circuits. The number of strands that can be connected together depends on the type of lights, size of the wiring in the set, and power source being used on the boat.

AC-powered lights can be plugged into an inverter running off a boat battery; you'll want to use LEDs to minimize the current draw. You can also power up using a properly installed marine genset (be sure to fuel up during the day), but don't use a portable generator. Not only is there a risk of carbon-monoxide poisoning with a portable, they could tip over if you get hit by a wake and the hot exhaust could cause burns or start fires. If using AC power, make sure to use a pigtail with a ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) as close to the source as possible. This will shut the power down if anything goes wrong in the circuit. AA battery-operated lights and 12-volt lights plugged into a 12-volt outlet are other options. If 12-volt outlets are used, the wiring and outlets must be protected by fuses or breakers properly sized to protect the wires supplying power to the outlet from carrying more current than they can safely handle. Any wiring connections should be clean and free from corrosion.

If you're 50, you need twice as much light to see as well as you did when you were 30. If your eyes are tired their ability to distinguish green from red will have deteriorated further. (Photo: John Horm)

Getting It All Up There

Attaching decorations when you don't have walls to tack things to is tricky. A simple method involves attaching lights with wire ties or duct tape. To make words or pictures from lights, use chicken wire. String the lights to the wire, and then staple it to wood frames, which are then secured to the boat using halyards, lines, blocks, and integral boat structures such as outriggers, masts, booms, and spinnaker poles.

String lights above the deck level, inside boat lifelines, in case docking or assistance is needed. Keep connections between strands close to the deck for easy access but high enough that seawater from waves or wake can't reach them. Make sure to keep connections away from metal rigging and metal support structures.

Be careful not to obscure your navigation lights. Don't decorate so bright lights fall within the skipper's line of sight, as that will destroy his or her night vision, and designate someone to stay out of the glare who can keep watch for obstructions and help navigate (see " How To Protect Your Night Vision ").

Windarra's Design Has Got Legs!

Photo: Rob Fettus

Rob and Julianne Fettus get many a chuckle with their homage to the movie "A Christmas Story" aboard their 43-foot Tollycraft Windarra . A well-lit eight-foot leg lamp, complete with shade, is mounted on their upper deck while their rails glitter with red and green lights and signboards flashing memorable phrases from the classic movie. Using plastic corrugated cardboard, the Fettuses created the lamp and signboards, which feature LED lights poked through the plastic like a Lite-Brite child's toy. The lampshade is hand-sewn, and the entire lamp is secured with guy wires at five attachment points. "Definitely test run in the evening while you're decorating," advises Julianne. "Walk away from the boat, and you'll be surprised at what you see. We're constantly jumping off during the test run, viewing from 50 feet away, and tweaking the decorations"

Don't Let Your Boat (Or Crew) Get Tied Up In Knots

Decorators should also consider how displays affect the boat's performance and overall stability, especially those using chicken-wire frames, because the extra weight of the structure can upset the balance of the boat. Hoisting a large chicken-wire frame is like hoisting a sail that can't be reefed or released. If the weather is too windy, or the frame too big, it can dangerously destabilize the boat. Keep in mind the crew will still need to get to docklines and cleats at the slip. Remember, crew will have to be able to move about and perform jobs, some perhaps on an emergency basis. Don't decorate in a way that interferes with safe boat operation. Double-check the weather forecast before leaving the dock so that you can ensure that your boat and your decorations will weather the elements well.

No Swan Song For Sally

Photo: BrennanPhotos.com

John Yanik creates the award-winning lighthouse shining from his Swan 36 Sally by starting with a paper drawing that he transfers to three chicken-wire frames using a grid and spray paint. He then traces the borders of the lighthouse with twine and secures lights with wire ties between the twine borders. After testing the lights, he screws the frames together, hoists them with halyards and extra blocks, and secures the bottom frame to the boom. After several years of experimenting, Yanik says, "I've found limiting most of the design to two colors and stringing four lights per foot results in the greatest visibility." Looking at the photo, he gets no argument from us!

Float Your Art With Pride

Chief Elf Chambliss says that convincing first-time skippers to brave a cold December night on their boat can be a challenge, but once they start, they can't stop. "When you hear the roar of the crowd, it's so heartwarming that you forget the challenges and start talking about what to do next year. In many towns, it's the boaters' gift to the thousands of people who come out to watch the parade. Many people have told me that the Lights Parade is the start of their holiday season."

Molto Bene Does Well

For years, Richard Ewing and Idarae Prothero have delighted with the Christmas tree twinkling from their Beneteau First 42 Molto Bene . To make the tree, they run two temporary forestays and backstays from the deck to the top of the mast. Over the course of an afternoon, Prothero starts at the top of the mast, zigzags graceful arcs of green lights secured with wire ties between the stays, and connects the lights where the boom meets the mast. Strands of red lights act as garlands. "I don't string lights near the lifeline because they interfere with night vision, and I also like to plug lights into a power strip that's then plugged into a generator so I can turn on all the lights at once with a single switch."

Safety Tip : Use a GFCI-equipped pigtail between the power strip and the generator.

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Getting ready for Christmas? Here are 8 Florida cities to visit to get in the holiday mood

Florida isn't really the place most people think of, when they think of "Christmas."

We have plenty of festive lights and local celebrations, but generally not a lot of quaint, snow-covered villages. We have fir trees , but very few reindeer . Not many of our homes come complete with fireplaces, unless you count patio barbecues. Our Christmas postcards invariably include a Santa in swim trunks, possibly near an alligator. The latest forecast for Christmas Day is for temps in the 70s, and rainy.

And yet when photo book site Mixbook ranked the 75 American towns with the "strongest Christmas vibes," based on a poll, they picked Clearwater as the 29th most Chrismassy, and St. Augustine as No. 54. Take that, Woodstock, Vermont!

Here are the places to go in the Sunshine State to get into the Christmas mood.

St. Augustine lights up the town

Do you like Christmas lights? You're probably not going to find more than the amazing spectacle of the Nation's Oldest City's "Nights of Lights," when they deck out their Spanish Colonial architecture every year with more than 3 million bulbs to set the skyline aglow.

According to its website, the lights adorn the city's downtown sidewalks to the rooftops, over the  Bridge of Lions , along historic buildings, public spaces,  hotels ,  restaurants , and inns throughout approximately 20 blocks of the  historic district .

When HGTV released its list of the best small "Christmas towns" in every state and picked St. Augustine to represent Florida, saying, "No American city has done Christmas longer than St. Augustine."

"Visitors and locals enjoy festive carriage rides, boat tours along the illuminated Matanzas River, and walking tours that showcase the city's rich history and festive décor," Mixbook said in a release. "St. Augustine's unique Spanish heritage is also highlighted in its holiday traditions, adding a distinct flavor to the Christmas celebrations."

Clearwater has an electric light boat parade

Clearwater, like most cities and towns, has its Christmas celebrations and events. But they also have the annual "Holiday Lighted Boat Parade," which Mixbook liked for the "nautical charm" of the "boats adorned with festive lights and decorations" in the Intracoastal Waterway, a nice change to the traditional holiday parades.

There are frankly, lots of amazing decorated holiday boat parades in Florida in just about every city near a body of water, including nearby St. Petersburg and Tarpon Springs, but they didn't make Mixbook's list. Check your local events listings.

Christmas, Florida. There you go.

Christmas, Florida, halfway between Orlando and Titusville, isn't really the most Christmassy place in the state. The quiet, tiny census-designated place had just 2,439 people in the 2020 census , many of whom work in a different town, and not much in the way of big celebrations.

It does boast the world's largest alligator-shaped building (over 200 feet) and lots of Orlando TV station transmission towers, though. The town was included in John Green's novel, "Paper Towns" about teens searching for a missing friend among abandoned housing subdivisions near Orlando.

But visitors are greeted by a giant decorated tree all year long, and some residents keep their homes decorated year-round. And there are a lot of visitors around this time of year as they line up to get their holiday mail postmarked from the suddenly-very-busy Christmas Post Office and maybe get their cards and parcels stamped with festive commemorative images by Santa himself.

Christmas all year? : From Santa Claus, Indiana; to North Pole, Alaska, it's merry year-round in these 14 places

Mount Dora, lit up and picture-perfect

If you've ever wanted the feeling of walking through a Hallmark Channel Christmas movie picture-perfect small town, just come to Mount Dora and enjoy the many antique shops, art galleries and annual festivals as you stroll around the downtown area or head out by Lake Dora to enjoy the beautiful vista and occasional seaplane landing.

And every year, they give St. Augustine a run for its money with the Light Up Mount Dora event. This will be the 42nd annual event, when thousands of people come to see more than two million lights, musical performances, an aerial display, fireworks, a 40-foot Christmas tree and an appearance from Santa.

Orlando: This Mouse is stirring

Orlando has plenty of holiday displays, from the lights at Lake Eola to the magical tour of 1.6 million lights at the Give Kids the World Village to the dazzling display at the 50-acre Harry P. Leu Gardens to the Dinos in Lights exhibit at the Orlando Science Center. But what might have contributed to Orlando being the No. 1 holiday destination around the country, according to AAA , is Disney World, and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party .

The party started in November , actually, and runs through Dec. 22 on select nights. There are special treats, complimentary seasonal sweets and beverages, character meet-and-greets you won't get any other time of the year, big holiday show extravaganzas, and "snow" falling from the sky. The party starts at 7 p.m. and runs to midnight, and you will need a separate ticket to attend.

Miami went full Christmas theme park

If Florida is somewhat less Christmassy than the rest of the states, Miami may be less Christmassy than other places in Florida. It can be hard to get into the yuletide spirit with 80-degree weather.

But it makes up for it with Santa's Enchanted Forest , the world's largest holiday theme park, now celebrating its 40th year with more than 100 attractions, rides, games and shows. See acrobats, magic shows, holiday displays, Santa Claus and many, many light displays, or ride the rides including the massive Ferris Wheel. Open through Jan. 7, 2024.

West Palm Beach invokes the sandy clause

You think your city has a big Christmas tree?

The one in West Palm Beach weighs 700 tons . Its name is Sandi.

Every year a new 35-foot sculpted holiday sand tree arises by the waterfront with thousands of lights synchronized to music, because that's how we do things in Florida. Along with other sand sculptures, in December Sandi becomes a centerpiece of a month of nightly music and light shows , with faux snow falling at The Square.

Or you can drive around and check out Delray Beach's 100-foot Christmas tree , or go to Palm Beach to check out the annual surfboard tree at The Royal Poinciana Plaza, created every year by different artists and designers. This year, the tree will be giving you the signature red, white and blue stripes of designer Thom Browne.

Florida, Palm Beach County traditions: Faux snow, giant sand Christmas trees, surfing Santas

Key West's Christmas party lasts a month, because Key West

If you're going to have a Florida Christmas, you might as well go full Florida and hit Key West. It's not a winter wonderland but it's a town that knows how to party with the month-long celebration of the tropical holiday, Key West Holiday Fest .

Take the Walk of Lights from Lazy Way Lane to the Ferry Terminal at Grinnell Street to see "light-bedecked palm trees, Christmas trees, ships, shops, restaurants and watering holes," according to KeyWestInns.com. Take a trolley tour, see the spectacular parades on land and sea, get out for the 5K Rudolph Nose Run, visit the ice skating rink at Key West Waterfront Winter Wonderland , and enjoy the many musical performances.

Or just hang out at the beach because it's still Florida and why not enjoy it?

Samantha Neely, USA TODAY Network-Florida, contributed to this story.

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Moscow's night lights

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The face of Moscow transforms completely at night. With the help of thousands of LED lights, it becomes magically mesmerizing.

With lustrous lights and shimmering skylines, the city takes on an ethereal, almost celestial quality — so different from the grey skies, smoggy pollution, and ever-present traffic of Moscow by day.

Moscow by night is beguiling to a point where it seems surreal, almost like a fairytale. Thousands of LED lights sparkle in the dark, outlining buildings, cathedrals, bridges, main streets, squares, monuments and statues in ever-changing hues ranging from gold, orange red, and pink to violet, blue, and green. With such a nightly display of light and colour kinetics, no need to be afraid of the dark anymore.

The best thing about Moscow's night lights is that it's year round. And for out-of-towners, the best way to experience the magic of Moscow at night is by joining a guided tour. I signed on for an optional tour offered by Viking River Cruises. The three-and-a-half hour escorted tour was a combination of walking through Red Square to hook up with a boat on the Moskva River followed by a bus tour.

We start the evening in Red Square, walking by GUM department store — the largest in Russia. At night GUM lights up with a brilliance equaled only by Christmas lights. Even Disneyland at night has found its competition in the lights of Red Square. Bosco Cafe in the GUM department store is spotlighted — the place to be seen on a terrace seat on Red Square while sipping coffee.

Our guide gives us only 20 minutes to walk around and admire the beauty of Red Square, including the Kremlin and St. Basil's Cathedral — one of the most famous symbols of Moscow and probably the most popular tourist attraction. Located at the northeastern wall of the Kremlin, Red Square has been central to Muscovites since the end of the 15th century. Even today, many parades and celebrations happen here.

St. Basil's Cathedral at night is a fairy tale to behold as the glow of night lights saturate the anarchy of colourful cupolas. It's a chaos of gables, tent roofs and twisting faceted onion domes; a crazy architectural confusion inspired by traditional Russian wood architecture. Ivan the Terrible commissioned the church, built from 1555 to 1561, that would later almost fall prey to Stalin as it hindered plans for mass parades on Red Square. But since the architect Pyotr Baranovsky threatened to cut his own throat if the masterpiece was destroyed, Stalin relented.

We cross Red Square to catch a boat for another perspective of Moscow. We start our cruise by Patriarchy Bridge, where lovers leave padlocks hanging from trees on the bridge (a fad popular with young people throughout Europe).

Next we see the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, the tallest Eastern Orthodox Church in the world. Built in 1860 in the Russian-Byzantine style, it honoured Russia's victory over Napoleon's troops. Unfortunately, Stalin destroyed the church and built a swimming pool on the ruins as a way to mock religion in the Soviet regime. The structure was rebuilt by the present Russian government and reopened in the year 2000. At night, the gigantic white church with the golden onion dome stands bathed in illuminating light that almost seems divinely inspired.

We pass by the huge monument to Peter the Great — a 95-metre monument that commemorates the 300th anniversary of the Russian fleet. Created by sculptor Zurab Tsereteli, the bronze monument consists of various ships and a giant statue of Peter the Great. Rumour has it that the statue was initially one of Christopher Columbus and that it was intended for the United States. However, after being rejected, the head was supposedly replaced and sold to the Russian government as a nautical likeness of Peter the Great.

The monument is not well liked by locals, some of it attributed to the incongruous pompousness and gigantic scale of the statue, while other reasons have to do with pivotal reforms Peter the Great introduced, most of them imitating European culture at the expense of Russian tradition.

We marvel at the luminescent landscape on our way back to where our Viking ship the I ngvar is moored, just north of the city. Spellbound from our magical lights tour, I check the night lights of Moscow off my bucket list.

There was a time in Moscow when streets were dark and poorly lit. Increased crime was an obvious byproduct. Alas, the extremely long nights of winter only made things worse, making for a very depressed outlook on life. In 2011, the nights became even longer when daylight savings time was ended for Muscovites, adding up to 18 hours a day in winter dark.

Moscow city authorities came up with a unique strategy to combat winter blues by adding thousands of new LED lights throughout Moscow. According to Pavel Livinsky, head of City Hall's fuel and energy department, which developed the lighting strategy, "Moscow receives seven to eight times less sunlight in winter compared to the summer, and the number of daylight hours goes down by half."

As a result, lighting has been a city priority in recent years and thousands of lights have been installed citywide, transforming a once dreary capital into a sparkling "Disneyland" at night.

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What to expect at Porchfest, from a longtime host of the Deering Center event

Bob Carroll recommends biking to the event, being open to meeting new people and maybe packing a snack.

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Bob Carroll hosts a band or two in his driveway on Bedell Street during Deering Center’s annual Porchfest. Photo courtesy of Bob Carroll

Every September, Bob Carroll turns his driveway on Bedell Street in Deering Center into a stage for Porchfest, when bands play in front of homes throughout the neighborhood. He’s been a host for nearly all of the festival’s 10 years and credited the organizers for the hard work they’ve put in over a decade to realize their vision. This year’s festival is 12:15-5 p.m. Sunday, and more than 65 bands will play throughout the afternoon. (Carroll, 53, will host 3rd Shelf Cava.)

Porchfest is free and open to all. For more information, including a map and parking details, check the Deering Center Neighborhood Association Facebook page . This interview has been edited for length.

What is involved in being a host for Porchfest?

The date has always been ingrained. It’s always been the Sunday after Labor Day when people are mostly around, so having that in your schedule.

The actual day-of is pretty easy. Unless you’re doing acoustics. I just put out power and make it nice. People set up in my driveway. People might do that or set up on their actual porch. It’s mostly a willingness to have them use that space for an hour, maybe 45 minutes, for them to set up, and the hour that they’re playing. The bands do the brunt of the work. I put out power and some chairs. The committee does a lot of the work. They put signs out.

There’s not that much labor involved, and you have to have a willingness to have them use your space.

Let’s say someone is coming to Porchfest for the first time. What advice would you give them about enjoying the day?

If you’re coming for a longer period of time or with your kids – it’s very kid-friendly – be prepared to meet some new people. It might be good to bring a snack because that stuff’s not really provided. Advertisement

Get a map. The maps are posted, but also there’s hard copies. They’ll put it online so you can have a map on your phone. A lot of people might know two or three bands that are playing, so you can map it out.

But you don’t have to plan it out. You’re going to be surrounded by music in a six-by-six-block radius and you can just go with the flow and just have a fun day of hearing different cool music and just being around people that want to be outside and listen to music.

We try to free up the street, so there is parking at Deering High School or places that they don’t barricade off. It’s good to be prepared. You might be doing some walking. A bike is a great way too to utilize the space.

Do you usually stay at your own place?

With two bands, it was a little harder, but I don’t usually have to go far. But if you’re a host, you still get to walk around and enjoy the music and see some of the crowds. You don’t have to stay the whole time. Most people might want to do that, but a half hour in or whatever, you can go see your friend’s band too and come back. People are really respectful about people’s property, about their space. That hasn’t been an issue for us. That’s another reason we continue to host.

Do you have a favorite Porchfest memory?

One got canceled over COVID, but the one the year after, in 2021, people just really wanted to be outside and see people and experience this. It was busy that year, and it ended up being a great day. I think people just wanted to be outside and doing stuff and seeing one another and supporting one another. I could go around and see a variety of different bands but also see a lot of people I hadn’t seen in a while due to being more around the house. That was probably my best memory, but there’s been a lot.

A crowd listens to Ideal Maine Social Aid and Sanctuary Band on Brentwood Street during Deering Center Porchfest 2023. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer

What do you think Porchfest has brought to the Deering Center neighborhood? How has it impacted the neighborhood identity?

It’s a strong sense of community that we look out for one another. It’s good to laugh and be social and listen to music. The music brings people together and has that sense of community. You look around, and you’re smiling and laughing, and people might be dancing, and you’re seeing kids that are now grown. If I had to sum it up, it would be a strong sense of community.

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